‘I learned to better understand those around me and myself’: The impact of an elective course of self-reflection, personal and professional growth on social work students

ABSTRACT

Through this paper, we aim to emphasise the impact of a Self-reflection, personal and professional growth seminar on the personal and professional development of social work students (n = 110, from the third year of study). We invited the students to keep a diary during the semester in which they recorded their personal reflections and to provide feedback on the impact of the seminar at the end of this elective course. Based on a thematic analysis of their feedback notes and diaries, five main categories emerged as significant: self-reflection and personal development acquisitions; relevance of the seminar for the social work domain; seminar content; interest in the professor/trainer; and the question of whether they would recommend the seminar to others. At the end of the seminar, the participants showed greater awareness regarding their own strengths and capabilities and also with regard to the impact that their own personal life scenarios may have on their work. Our findings highlight the role of experiential self-reflection, personal and professional optimisation programmes in improving future social workers’ readiness to cope with the stress associated with their future work.

REZUMAT

Prin această lucrare dorim să evidențiem impactul unui seminar de Autocunoaștere, optimizare personală și profesională asupra nivelului de dezvoltare personală și profesională al studenților la asistență socială (n = 110, anul 3 de studii). Studenții au fost invitați să țină un jurnal, pe parcursul semestrului, în care să își noteze propriile gânduri și reflecții și să transmită feedback legat de acest seminar la finalul semestrului. În urma analizei tematice a jurnalelor și notelor de feedback, cinci mari categorii au reieșit ca fiind semnificative: achiziții la nivel de autocunoaștere și dezvoltare personală; relevanța muncii de asistent social; conținutul seminarului; interes față de cadrul didactic; recomandarea seminarului altor persoane. La sfârșitul programului, studenții au fost mai conștienți de propriile resurse și abilități, dar și de impactul pe care propriul scenariu de viață îl poate avea asupra muncii lor ca asistenți sociali. Rezultatele noastre evidențiază rolul programelor de reflecție, autocunoaștere, optimizare personală și profesională de tip experiențial în creșterea capacității viitorilor asistenți sociali de a face față stresului asociat cu munca lor viitoare.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work students
• personal development
• professional development
• self-reflection
• experiential learning

CUVINTE CHEIE:

• studenți la Asistență socială
• dezvoltare personală
• dezvoltare profesională
• reflecție
• învățare experiențială

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sorina Daniela Dumitrache

Sorina Daniela Dumitrache, PhD, is a university lecturer in the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work at the University of Bucharest, Romania, and an associate lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences and Social Work at the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, Germany. She also works in private practice as an experiential and trauma informed psychotherapist. She has published several articles and books in the field of psychotherapy, clinical psychology and personal development. Her areas of specialisation include art-therapy, individual, group and couples therapy, EFT, vicarious traumatisation, trauma work and EMDR.

Florin Lazăr

Florin Lazăr, PhD, is a Professor Habilitated at the Department of Social Work, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest, Romania. He worked for 12 years as a social worker with people living with HIV and vulnerable children and youth. He is a member of the executive committee of EASSW, a board member of ESWRA, and President of the Social Work Research Commission of the National College of Social Workers of Romania (the national professional organisation). Recently he carried out research on HIV stigma and social work education and profession.